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Leaders hopeful Amazon might build in Ocala

Commerce park would be good fit, locals say

Published: Saturday, June 15, 2013 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, June 14, 2013 at 9:59 p.m.

The news that Amazon is bringing thousands of jobs, millions of investment dollars and massive distribution hubs to Florida has touched off mad speculation about which communities would reap the windfall. And many locals hope Ocala is in the mix.

On Friday, a spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Scott, who on Thursday announced the pending arrival of Amazon and its 3,000 jobs and $300 million in investment cash, said details about where the company would eventually locate in Florida would come from Amazon.

Mary Osako, a spokeswoman for the nation's largest online retailer, said the company had "no announcements" about possible locations at this point.

That, however, did not stop rampant speculation about where Amazon would land.

Hillsborough County seemed to have a firm grasp on one of the Amazon-related projects, based on reporting by the Tampa Bay Times.

The newspaper reported that Ruskin, a small community in southwestern Hillsborough County best known for the sweet-tasting tomatoes grown there, would be home to one of the 1 million-square-foot distribution centers Amazon plans to build in Florida.

The Times noted that Hills­borough officials were already weighing a $6.6-million incentive package for that estimated $200 million facility, which also would bring 1,000 jobs to that area.

Citing unnamed sources, The Daily Record, a business publication in Jacksonville, reported that Lakeland was a "probable site" for one of Amazon's "fulfillment centers," as the company dubs them, and that Jacksonville was "a logical choice for another."

The Record noted that Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown's staff was calling it a coincidence — and not a set deal — that city planners and state water managers were reviewing plans for a 1 million-square-foot warehouse in the Cecil Commerce Center, a public-private venture in west Jacksonville.

The Orlando Sentinel, noting an unidentified source knowledgeable of the talks between the state and the company, said two of the distribution hubs were destined for the Interstate 4 corridor, creating at least 1,500 jobs for that region.

Amazon possibly would add up to four more hubs elsewhere in the state, the Sentinel reported.

Locally, officials and observers believe the Ocala-Marion County Commerce Park deserves to be on the short list for Amazon's consideration. The main reason is the site's well known features: immediate access to Interstate 75, proximity to an international airport and a soon-to-be-added railroad spur that will tie in to CSX Transportation's main freight line through the state.

But there's another motivation for a company that, in 2012, raked in $61 billion in sales via cyberspace, observers said.

FedEx intends to build a roughly 400,000-square-foot distribution center on 150 acres at the nearly 500-acre site on the city's north end. The Fortune 500 logistics giant intends to spend $123 million for buildings and equipment, creating 165 jobs that pay an average yearly salary of $31,536. In March the County Commission and Ocala City Council both approved a joint incentive package valued at $3.5 million for FedEx to locate there.

Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn on Friday called the commerce park "ideal" for Amazon.

"I can't think of a better place than Ocala 489," said Guinn, referring to the park's commonly known name prior to its development.

"It's centrally located, and I think it would be ideal being right next to FedEx. That would be a great place to locate. I can only hope it's one of the places they're looking at," the mayor added.

"Ocala 489 would be an outstanding location for Amazon, specifically due to the nature and size of the project," said Rick Michael, the county's former economic development director who now advises the County Commission as a consultant.

Pete Tesch, an Ocala-based economic consultant, said the commerce park's features, including its telecommunications capability, would serve Amazon well.

Tesch, the former head of the Ocala-Marion County Economic Development Corp., who had worked closely with the state's main economic development agency, Enterprise Florida, said prior to the development of Ocala 489 the community had always emerged in talks like this but was never able to land the right deal with a major player.

Now, Tesch said, "Ocala should have a shot."

"Having Amazon in Ocala-Marion County would be a tremendous boost. My hope is that our local leadership is in communication with Amazon and Enterprise Florida right now," Tesch said.

"Now we can compete," he added. "It doesn't mean we're going to be a winner. But I would definitely imagine the governor and Enterprise Florida would have Ocala on their radar screen."

Bartow McDonald, a commercial Realtor in Ocala with Sperry Van Ness, said the commerce park should be seen as a natural site for a company with a sophisticated logistics operation serving the Florida market, if not beyond — as the arrival of FedEx can attest to.

"I think it would be awesome to see Amazon land in that park," McDonald said.

"FedEx coming here, and companies like R+L Carriers (an Ohio-based trucking firm with an Ocala operation) growing here is really validation that Ocala-Marion County is an asset in connecting supply chains," McDonald added. "We face some fierce competition from places like Lakeland, but as companies expand again, hopefully they'll see us as part of that solution."

In December 2010, Amazon announced it was building two distribution facilities near Chattanooga, Tenn., one by a Volkswagen assembly plant and another near a chemical plant that made components for solar panels. That emerged shortly after the company announced another new distribution center in South Carolina.

The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported at the time that all the sites were attractive because they were near interstate highways, including I-75, and a local airport.

Additionally, local officials told the newspaper that Amazon executives also intended to rely on FedEx to ship its goods.

<p>The news that Amazon is bringing thousands of jobs, millions of investment dollars and massive distribution hubs to Florida has touched off mad speculation about which communities would reap the windfall. And many locals hope Ocala is in the mix.</p><p>On Friday, a spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Scott, who on Thursday announced the pending arrival of Amazon and its 3,000 jobs and $300 million in investment cash, said details about where the company would eventually locate in Florida would come from Amazon.</p><p>Mary Osako, a spokeswoman for the nation's largest online retailer, said the company had "no announcements" about possible locations at this point.</p><p>That, however, did not stop rampant speculation about where Amazon would land.</p><p>Hillsborough County seemed to have a firm grasp on one of the Amazon-related projects, based on reporting by the Tampa Bay Times.</p><p>The newspaper reported that Ruskin, a small community in southwestern Hillsborough County best known for the sweet-tasting tomatoes grown there, would be home to one of the 1 million-square-foot distribution centers Amazon plans to build in Florida.</p><p>The Times noted that Hills­borough officials were already weighing a $6.6-million incentive package for that estimated $200 million facility, which also would bring 1,000 jobs to that area.</p><p>Citing unnamed sources, The Daily Record, a business publication in Jacksonville, reported that Lakeland was a "probable site" for one of Amazon's "fulfillment centers," as the company dubs them, and that Jacksonville was "a logical choice for another."</p><p>The Record noted that Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown's staff was calling it a coincidence — and not a set deal — that city planners and state water managers were reviewing plans for a 1 million-square-foot warehouse in the Cecil Commerce Center, a public-private venture in west Jacksonville.</p><p>The Orlando Sentinel, noting an unidentified source knowledgeable of the talks between the state and the company, said two of the distribution hubs were destined for the Interstate 4 corridor, creating at least 1,500 jobs for that region.</p><p>Amazon possibly would add up to four more hubs elsewhere in the state, the Sentinel reported.</p><p>Locally, officials and observers believe the Ocala-Marion County Commerce Park deserves to be on the short list for Amazon's consideration. The main reason is the site's well known features: immediate access to Interstate 75, proximity to an international airport and a soon-to-be-added railroad spur that will tie in to CSX Transportation's main freight line through the state.</p><p>But there's another motivation for a company that, in 2012, raked in $61 billion in sales via cyberspace, observers said.</p><p>FedEx intends to build a roughly 400,000-square-foot distribution center on 150 acres at the nearly 500-acre site on the city's north end. The Fortune 500 logistics giant intends to spend $123 million for buildings and equipment, creating 165 jobs that pay an average yearly salary of $31,536. In March the County Commission and Ocala City Council both approved a joint incentive package valued at $3.5 million for FedEx to locate there.</p><p>Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn on Friday called the commerce park "ideal" for Amazon.</p><p>"I can't think of a better place than Ocala 489," said Guinn, referring to the park's commonly known name prior to its development.</p><p>"It's centrally located, and I think it would be ideal being right next to FedEx. That would be a great place to locate. I can only hope it's one of the places they're looking at," the mayor added.</p><p>"Ocala 489 would be an outstanding location for Amazon, specifically due to the nature and size of the project," said Rick Michael, the county's former economic development director who now advises the County Commission as a consultant.</p><p>Pete Tesch, an Ocala-based economic consultant, said the commerce park's features, including its telecommunications capability, would serve Amazon well.</p><p>Tesch, the former head of the Ocala-Marion County Economic Development Corp., who had worked closely with the state's main economic development agency, Enterprise Florida, said prior to the development of Ocala 489 the community had always emerged in talks like this but was never able to land the right deal with a major player.</p><p>Now, Tesch said, "Ocala should have a shot."</p><p>"Having Amazon in Ocala-Marion County would be a tremendous boost. My hope is that our local leadership is in communication with Amazon and Enterprise Florida right now," Tesch said.</p><p>"Now we can compete," he added. "It doesn't mean we're going to be a winner. But I would definitely imagine the governor and Enterprise Florida would have Ocala on their radar screen."</p><p>Bartow McDonald, a commercial Realtor in Ocala with Sperry Van Ness, said the commerce park should be seen as a natural site for a company with a sophisticated logistics operation serving the Florida market, if not beyond — as the arrival of FedEx can attest to.</p><p>"I think it would be awesome to see Amazon land in that park," McDonald said.</p><p>"FedEx coming here, and companies like R+L Carriers (an Ohio-based trucking firm with an Ocala operation) growing here is really validation that Ocala-Marion County is an asset in connecting supply chains," McDonald added. "We face some fierce competition from places like Lakeland, but as companies expand again, hopefully they'll see us as part of that solution."</p><p>In December 2010, Amazon announced it was building two distribution facilities near Chattanooga, Tenn., one by a Volkswagen assembly plant and another near a chemical plant that made components for solar panels. That emerged shortly after the company announced another new distribution center in South Carolina.</p><p>The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported at the time that all the sites were attractive because they were near interstate highways, including I-75, and a local airport.</p><p>Additionally, local officials told the newspaper that Amazon executives also intended to rely on FedEx to ship its goods.</p><p><i>Contact Bill Thompson at 867-4117 or bill.thompson@starbanner.com.</i></p>